[Mr.Chow]

WHen i ever i start my computer about 15-30 later it will freeze on me. Usually when I leave it at idle it will freeze as soon as i move the mouse. What happens when it i freezes is that the HD led light will stay solid red and nothing moves not even the mouse.

I have reformatted this computer before with this same problem still happening after the format. So it makes me belive it is a hardware issue. I would typically think that it is my memory doing this but the only thing thats me think it might not be is because i havent' recived any errors. Typically (from my understanding) memory starts to show that it is going bad by giving random errors. I have none !

So any ideas would apreciated to what might be wrong. If it was a software problem that would be great ! haha

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This happend to me with my old PC. Turns out I had bad RAM. Test each module you have individually with memtest86 (http://www.memtest86.com/). If you get an error - your RAM could be your issue. If one doesn't even POST the computer, that RAM is bad. Try different RAMs too, and see if you get this problem. Make sure each RAM you have are the same.

[FalloutYear]

This happend to me with my old PC. Turns out I had bad RAM. Test each module you have individually with memtest86 (http://www.memtest86.com/). If you get an error - your RAM could be your issue. If one doesn't even POST the computer, that RAM is bad. Try different RAMs too, and see if you get this problem. Make sure each RAM you have are the same.

[Mr.Chow]

Well i only have one stick wich is pc- 3200 512mb

There are three slots on my motherboard. SHould i also try diffrent slots ? I have it by default in my first slot (were it sould be when only one stick is in)

I will try the link though ! Thanx !

[Mr.Chow]

I have come to the conclusion that the HD went bad. Because when it freezes the HD LED light stay on like the HD is still going or working.

Although to confirm this i was wondering if there was any programs besides windows defaults that will scan your whole hard drive ... ANyone know of any ?

[Samm]

Hi there

It does not sound like a ram issue to me. I'm not promising it's not the ram & it wouldn't do any harm to run memtest anyway just to be sure, but the symptoms you described are not typical of a faulty ram module.

It could be your hard disk as you suggested but if its the drive, I would expect you to have problems at other times, not just when moving the mouse after a period of inactivity.

The fact that it's happening mainly after a period of inactivity suggests your problem may be power management related.

It's still worth checking the hard disk though. The best diagnostic utility to use is usually the one provided by your HDD's manufacturer. Find out what make your drive is then go to the manufacturers website & download the relevant utility (or tell me what make it is & I'll give you the link to the correct web page).

Also can you tell me :
1) What your power management settings are in Windows (control panel->power options)

2) What make & model of motherboard you have. If you don't know, then download & run SWI to find out :
http://www3.sympatico.ca/gtopala/

3) When you move the move the mouse after a period of inactivity & the system freezes with the HDD LED lit, is the LED already lit before you move the mouse or does it come on after you move it? Does using the keyboard first, instead of the mouse, in this situation make any difference to whether it freezes or not?

[Mr.Chow]

Ok i just finished with the scan from (http://www.memtest86.com/). I let it scan all night it went around 30 times. Out of those thirty times of checking the memory there were no errors. Judging from that test (And i am sure 30 passes is enough and thurough) I come to belive that it is a faulty HD.

To answer your questions now Samm...

1.My power managment setting are for the HD to never turn off (From what i was told you shortin the life of your HD when you have spin down and up again)

2.My motherboard is a ABIT NF-7 S v2.0

3.Basically whaty happens is that it just hits a spot (i think a spot on the HD) were it will just stop spinning. I think that the reason for it being the way it is, is because there is a bad sector on the HDD and that is why I'm getting these sparatic freezes. So i would say that when the windows freeze the LED light will come on. About 1-2 seconds later the mouse freezes. When the mouse goes EVERYTHING GOES ! No Keyboard, no mouse, no nothing !


My conclusion ... Hard Drive ?

[Samm]

You may well be right in that case. I was thinking along the lines of a power management issue because of what you said in your original post. Am I right in thinking then that the symptoms you describe can happen while you are using the system, and not just after a period of inactivity?

Use checkdisk's surface scan to test the drive for bad sectors. i.e right click on the drive icon in My Computer, select Properties->tools->error checking & tick the box to test for bad sectors.

When you said in your last post about the drive hitting a spot & stops spinning, do you mean you can actually hear the drive spin/power down or not?

Can you also confirm whether the drive is IDE or SATA please

[Mr.Chow]

The drive is SATA.

I'm starting to think now that it isn't the Hard drive anymore ... I think that it either might be one of two things now.

1) Capaciters on the motherboard

2) Transisters in the CPU chip. I have herd that if 1 or 2 its ok ur system gets over it. But if about 5 or 6 go then it could cause trouble.

There is know of knowing if my power is shorting out. Right now i am thinking of all possibiltys ...

I ran a HDD scanner. The same kind that linux uses. It should no errors. I have used chkdsk and still no errors. So i guess it isn't the HDD. So i am about to run a CPU test on my computer to see if the CPU is running correctly. If that doesn't work i will be taking a closer look at my motherboard at and around the capaciters.

[Samm]

I doubt somehow it's either of the 2 things you mentioned in your last post.
Can you confirm whether this problem only occurs after a period of inactivity or does it happen at other times as well?

Can you also tell me what power supply you have please? i.e power rating in watts & manufacturer